Chapters 9 and 10 Summary

Will arrives at the lab to find that Murugan is reading something, but hides it before Will can see. When he convinces Murugan to allow him to look, Will discovers that it's a Sears and Roebuck catalogue. Will suggests that the catalogues be distributed to the people of Pala for free to encourage them all to want possessions. He says they'll then be clamoring for progress but Murugan says it won't work.

Then Murugan reveals that the people of Pala have "dope" in the form of yellow mushrooms. Dr. MacPhail and Vijaya say there's nothing wrong with it, though Murugan disagrees. Dr. MacPhail says that the people who consume the mushrooms are happy but Murugan argues that it's a "false" feeling. MacPhail says, however, that rather than the brain producing consciousness, perhaps the brain only transmits the consciousness—meaning that...